


Heatwave

by kooili



Category: Holby City
Genre: Berena Remix Fic Exchange, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 03:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20828972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kooili/pseuds/kooili
Summary: Summer is in full swing, and Serena is ready to take a step into the unknown. Why not? She can always blame the heat if it all goes wrong.





	Heatwave

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Snow Days](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13840242) by [robliz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/robliz/pseuds/robliz). 

> From snow to heat - a follow up to robliz's work, jumping forward about six months.

“Thank god that’s done! That’s the last time I offer to complete the clinical audit the day it’s due,” Serena exclaimed in relief as she closed the final folder and dropped it ceremoniously onto the burgeoning pile in her out-tray. “You,” she stared pointedly at Bernie who had just entered the office, “owe me a very large Shiraz.”

Bernie was midway through sinking into her chair, eyes peeking from behind her fringe, smiling innocently. “I would have done it myself but it’s been busy all afternoon. Had to take that patient from the bike accident straight into theatre.”

Serena arched an eyebrow. “Ah yes, that very important surgery you had to personally see to as trauma lead.” 

There was a sarky drawl to her tone which made Bernie squawk defensively. “I only had the patient’s best interest in mind.”

“Of course you did,” Serena replied with a sceptical look. “Remind me again what the procedure was? It must have been something complicated needing your expert touch. A pseudoaneurysm repair or an AV shunt, perhaps?” 

Her face turned a deep shade of pink as Bernie mumbled her answer, gaze lowered onto a random spot on the desk.

“What was that again? You’ll have to speak up, Ms Wolfe.” Serena was determined not to let her co-lead get away without an admission and waited patiently, eyes firmly fixed on the mop of blonde hair. 

It was a short contest, Bernie finally conceding, raising her eyes to meet Serena’s amused gaze. “It could have _become_ complicated,” she finally answered, more than a touch defensively.

“Oh come now,” Serena tutted, “you could have whipped out an appendix blindfolded with one arm tied behind your back. Or let Morven close up after. But no, you had to do it all yourself and take as long as possible.” She paused and regarded Bernie, daring her to disagree.

There were days past when Bernie would have attempted to argue her way out of it but Serena knew her too well by now. 

“Fine, you win!” Bernie tried to sound disgruntled but her eyes gave her away. “I might have taken my time in theatre. But you’re much better and quicker with the paperwork,” she explained, her tone rising hopefully. “I’m sure you didn’t mind.”

Serena shook her head firmly. “Flattery will get you nowhere. That,” she waved a hand at the substantial pile of completed folders, “was the most tedious and pointless three hours of my life.”

“I’ll do next week’s report,” Bernie offered, still attempting to look contrite. 

“That’s a start,” Serena replied with a considered look. “Keep going.”

Bernie pursed her lips thoughtfully. “And the monthly rota when it’s due?”

Serena made an effort to look unimpressed as she pretended to ponder Bernie’s offer. “I’ll think about it. Over a large Shiraz at Albie’s,” she finally replied, pushing her chair away from the desk and stretching the kinks out of her back as she stood. “You’re buying, of course.”

Bernie shook her head ruefully. “Rain check. I’ve got someone coming round in an hour to fix the heating. In fact,” she glanced at the clock, “do you mind if I nip away just now?”

“You’re having the heating fixed. In the middle of this heatwave.” Serena’s tone of voice rose sceptically. “Surely you could come up with a better excuse than that?”

Bernie made a sound of protest and was about to launch into an explanation when Serena stopped her with a fond roll of her eyes. “Oh, never mind, ” she said, shooing Bernie towards the door. “It’s too nice a day to be stuck in here and at least one of us should enjoy the sunshine.”

She was instantly rewarded with an enthusiastic smile as Bernie gathered her things. “I owe you one,” she said as she hefted the strap of her bag onto a shoulder.

“I’ll hold you to that the next time we’re at Albie’s. Now go, before I change my mind.”

***

It was much later than she expected before Serena found herself pushing open the large glass door at the entrance to Wyvern Wing, her initial attempt to leave almost an hour ago having been thwarted by interruptions from various members of staff along the way.

A solid wave of heat hit her as she stepped out of the building, stopping her in her tracks like a brick wall. Serena could instantly feel beads of sweat prickling along her hairline. Glorious summer was in full swing today. 

“And I thought the menopause was hot,” she mumbled under her breath as she propelled herself forward as quickly as the heat would allow, towards the blessed air-conditioned sanctuary of her car.

Serena was half a dozen steps away from her parking space when a loud clang from the opposite side of the car park caught her attention. She glanced across the tarmac at the source and was caught off guard by what - or rather _whom _\- she saw.

“Bernie?” she called out as she approached the familiar figure bent over the open bonnet of a convertible.

A reply came in the form of a dull thunk, a yelp of pain and muttered curses. Bernie rubbed the top of her head gingerly as she pulled herself upright. “Serena! What are you still doing here?” she asked, surprised.

Serena regarded the frazzled face looking back at her. “I could ask you the same but I’m going to hazard a wild guess that you’re having problems with your car.”

Bernie sighed wearily and dabbed her forehead with the back of her hand. “The engine’s making a nasty sound. Something between growling and whining.”

Taking a step closer to peer under the open bonnet, Serena’s nose wrinkled up immediately as she caught a whiff of smoke drifting out of the engine compartment. “Burning rubber,” she remarked. “I think the alternator’s cactus,” she said, turning to Bernie. “It’ll need to be sorted if you’re hoping to go anywhere.”

“I was certainly _hoping_ to,” Bernie muttered before tilting her head curiously towards Serena. “You seem to know your way around car engines. Vascular surgeon and mechanic extraordinaire, eh?”

Serena smiled and shook her head. “Not at all. The same thing happened to me a while back and Jason researched it extensively.”

“He fixed your alternator?” Bernie looked impressed.

“Not quite. He prefers the theoretical over the practical aspect of automotive mechanics so I was supplied with detailed instructions on how easy it was to fix an alternator,” Serena answered, laughing lightly. “I’ll share a secret if you can keep it.”

Bernie nodded seriously and made a motion of locking her lips and throwing away the key. 

Serena lowered her voice conspiratorially. “I splashed out and called a mechanic in the end. Highly recommended and less of a mess,” she continued, looking pointedly at Bernie’s grease-streaked face.

The slight pinkening of Bernie’s cheeks could charitably be put down to the heat. “I had every intention to, except every garage I’ve been trying to call has been too busy to come out any time soon.” Bernie blew a frustrated breath. “So I thought I’d try to put some of my Army training to use. I was just finishing up, actually.”

“So you’ve fixed it then?” Serena asked, a tad dubiously.

Bernie answered by leaning into the car and turning the key. Her face curved into a victorious smirk at the sound of the engine turning over and she was about to announce her success when it started sputtering erratically, spewing a dark puff of smoke before going silent. The two women took a step back and stared at the soot covered convertible.

“Oh dear,” Serena murmured sympathetically, doing her best to keep a straight face at the almost comical look of balefulness on Bernie’s.

“Guess I’ll have to resort to plan B,” Bernie sighed, digging into the pocket of her trousers for her mobile. 

“What’s that?” Serena asked.

“Taxi, if I can get one. Otherwise, it’ll be a long leisurely walk home.”

Serena reached out and stilled Bernie’s hand. “You’re not likely to get one soon at this time of the day and it’s too hot to walk anywhere in this weather. I’ve got a better idea. How about plan C and I give you a lift instead?”

* * *

“This is putting you out of your way,” Bernie said for the umpteenth time, even as her hands moved to strap on the seatbelt. “I’m sure I’d get a taxi eventually.” 

Serena ignored her protest as she started the car. A heavenly blast of cold air streamed through the vents on the dashboard, soothing her overheated skin. She moaned in delight and looked over, pleased to see a similar look of blissful relief on Bernie’s face. 

“Think of it as repaying a favour,” Serena finally said once she negotiated them out of the car park. 

Bernie gave her a confused look. “What favour? I thought_ I_ owed _you_ drinks for doing all the paperwork.”

The traffic was a little heavier than usual for the time of day but they were soon moving steadily along the dual carriageway until they reached a set of lights. 

“You gave me a lift home the first day we met,” Serena explained as she pulled the car to a halt at the end of the queue. 

Bernie’s eyes lit up at the memory. “That was a particularly bad snow day. You were dressed like an Arctic explorer when I found you.”

The traffic started moving again and Serena set the car in motion before glaring at Bernie. “I had an extra fleece and a wooly scarf on. That hardly qualified as polar gear.”

Bernie’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “It was very cold.” She squinted as the sun caught her eyes as the car turned a corner. “Wouldn’t mind some of that right now. It’s like roasting slowly in an oven today.”

Serena murmured her agreement. “And I don’t think it’s letting up anytime soon. It’s supposed to hit the dizzying heights of thirty degrees tomorrow.” Her remark was met with silence and Serena stole a glance over to the passenger side only to find that Bernie had her eyes closed, head tilted back, a wide smile on her face.

“Bernie?” 

Bernie cracked an eyelid open. “Sorry. Just drifted away for a moment thinking about snow and the suggestion you made that day.”

“I didn’t think you’d take me seriously,” Serena said with a chuckle. “And I still remember the look on Marcus’s face when you brought him in after the outing. What was it again..a contusion to the coccyx?”

“He fell off the sled and bruised his arse,” Bernie said matter-of-factly. “Refused to let me help so I thought of the next best person to treat an overgrown man-child.”

Serena shrugged nonchalantly. “We didn’t know each other well enough then for me to say but I thought he was insufferably whiny and arrogant the moment we met.”

“I should have met you twenty five years ago,” Bernie said wryly. “Would have saved me years of grief.”

There was a sombre edge to her flippant words and Serena immediately regretted her blunt candour. Their relationship had quickly transformed from one of mutual respect to friendship since Bernie had joined AAU as co-lead. Serena found herself surprised, increasingly frequently, at how close they had become as she supported Bernie through her divorce. “Would it be any comfort to say better late than never?” Serena offered gently.

Bernie took in the look of contrition on Serena’s face and nodded, smiling. “I wouldn’t have traded having Cam and Charlotte for anything. Although, it is rather enjoyable being single again.”

“Rocking the bachelor lifestyle and breaking hearts,” Serena teased.

Bernie blushed and looked away. “Not quite.”

“I don’t believe you. Big Macho Army Medic like you must have them lining up outside your door.” 

Bernie looked at Serena and shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a one woman kind of girl.”

Serena pulled her attention away from the road and looked in Bernie’s direction. “Oh? Is that statement of fact or hypothesis, Ms Wolfe?”

“A lady doesn’t tell,” Bernie said in mock seriousness, punctuated with a slow wink.

At any other time, Serena would have latched onto Bernie’s answer and badgered until she got an answer, but something about those piercing eyes was particularly distracting today. _Must be the heat_, she thought, angling her face towards the air-conditioning to cool the rising flush in her cheeks. “Could this day get any hotter?” she said randomly to change the subject.

“Perfect time for the boiler to break down,” Bernie groaned.

Serena gave her a surprised glance. “Can’t imagine why that’d be a problem seeing that heating is the last thing you’d need at the moment.”

Bernie’s lips twisted into a rueful smile. “It’s a problem if the heating control is stuck at _on_. I’ve tried everything including pulling the fuse but I can’t turn the bloody thing off!”

Serena winced sympathetically. The mere thought of radiators on full blast in this heat was making her sweat in spite of the air conditioning. “Didn’t you say that you have someone coming to look at it?”

“Had,” Bernie replied, glumly. “He texted half an hour ago to say that he’s not going to be able to make it today. Something about helping an old woman who’s been locked out of her house.”

“Sounds like an unlikely excuse,” Serena remarked sceptically. 

Bernie nodded. “I’m tempted to just find someone else at this point. This is the third day in a row he’s let me down.”

“A proper dick then,” Serena quipped, her observation setting Bernie off into surprisingly loud honks of laughter.

It was a good minute later before Bernie finally wiped tears out of the corner of her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself. “Sorry,” she said, her voice gruff from laughing too hard. She cleared her throat before continuing. “I just remembered that his name’s Richard.”

The look on Serena’s face was priceless and that set Bernie off again, the pair of them laughing riotously until they came to a halt in front of a block of flats.

“At least he’s good for a laugh, if nothing else,” Serena said, securing the handbrake. “So, what’s the plan for fixing the heating?”

Bernie shrugged as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Googling for a replacement, on the balcony with a cold drink I suppose. Unless you have a better suggestion.”

“Well, the last time we had a heatwave, I spent the day indoors - windows wide open, curtains drawn - in my favourite outfit,” Serena remarked casually.

She knew exactly what Serena was setting her up for from the wicked twinkle in her eyes. Bernie swallowed hard to moisten her throat which had suddenly gone bone dry. She knew she shouldn’t encourage her friend but the words fell out of her lips anyway. “I can’t imagine what that would be.” 

Serena watched closely as the colour in Bernie’s cheeks, already pink from the heat, deepened to a crimson blush. There was something in the dark eyes looking back at her that she was certain mirrored what she had been feeling for the past few months. She had seen it before in flashes - chatting over coffee and a pastry, exchanging banter across the operating table - but had never been sure enough to probe any further. 

Until today.

She considered for a split second and decided to push ahead. After all, she mused, it could be blamed on the heat if it all went horribly wrong. 

“I’ve got another plan. Instead of facing the sauna in there,” she nodded towards the flat, “why don’t you stay over at mine tonight?”

“At yours?” Bernie’s voice was a high-pitched croak. 

“Yes,” Serena said in her silkiest tone. “Jason is spending the night at Alan’s so I’ll be on my own anyway.”

Bernie’s face widened into a coy smile. “Well, I suppose if it’s to keep you company. It’d be ungracious of me to say no, wouldn’t it?”

“Deeply so,” Serena answered, barely containing a sly smirk as she started the car up again. “And Bernie?”

“Yes?” 

“Have you ever been to Stepney?”


End file.
